In New Jersey Orenstein has died at 98 years old at his. No cause of death has been uncovered, yet Orenstein leaves behind a tremendous tradition of survival, success, and innovation. Orenstein held in excess of 100 patents at the time of his demise, was a champion poker player, and aided usher in various successful toy franchises all through his vocation, the most prominent being Transformers.
Transformers maker, Henry Orenstein, has died at age 98. Orenstein was a Holocaust survivor who immigrated to the U.S. in 1947, in the long run becoming a successful toymaker. He convinced Hasbro to purchase Takara’s Japanese-made Diaclone and Micro Change toys and repackage them as Transformers. Previous Hasbro CEO, Alan Hassenfeld, credited Orenstein as “the catalyst” for the Transformers’ existence. Orenstein shared the U.S. patent for the G1 Transformers with Hasbro executive, George Dunsay.
Transformers are a race of sentient robots that can transform from humanoid robots to all manner of vehicles and weapons. They are comprised of different sides, the Autobots and the Decepticons, one great, one evil. The Autobots are driven by Optimus Prime, who transforms into a semi truck, while the Decepticons are driven by Megatron, who oftentimes transforms into a firearm or plane, depending on where he’s appearing. The toy line has run for quite a long time and continues to do as such, alongside animated shows, video games, merchandise, and a billion-dollar film franchise.
The Transformers film series has been a massive success, bringing the robotic characters to life in a manner that was unimaginable to those who originally purchased Orenstein’s toys. Director Michael Bay directed the first five Transformers films in the franchise for Paramount, which, alongside the non-Bay section, Bumblebee, has grossed more than $4.8 billion, becoming the 13th highest-grossing film series ever. As of now, director Stephen Caple Jr. is directing a sequel to Bumblebee, titled Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, which is relied upon to release in 2023.
Often when someone of prominence passes, it’s customary to grieve their loss, but on the other hand it’s memorable’s important the heritage they’ve made. For Orenstein, his story of survival-to-success in America is one to be pleased with. It’s unlikely he at any point imagined how successful Transformers would turn out to be, however watching it come to fruition and influence generation upon generation is a tremendous heritage to invest wholeheartedly in.